The Deep Forest rockstar

For @Celandine

He was in a forest again; at least this one was familiar. Eerie silence was his accompanying friend, darkness cloaked his tawny pelt as the moon moved shadows against the backdrop of darkness, on occasion he could see the stars but they were minuscule compared to the illuminating moon and were easily lost. His feet crunched on dried leaves as he walked, a noisy way to let others know that he had returned but why he was here was beyond him. The last visit had produced  for him merely a bone that had practically dried up from being out in the cold too long, and today proved even worse for slim pickings; there was not a smell worth eating within miles.

He saw the owl that followed him again, it looked to be pleasantly plump which meant there were morsels here just nothing worth his bear of a appetite. He decided he would wait until he visited the surrounding land to attempt a hunt. A yawn forced from his jaws, the first sign of his exhaustion but stubbornness kept him moving and within a few minutes he was nearing the edge of the forest, beyond it was a mystery but he was anxious to see daylight once more.

Celandine made it a point to explore the lands surrounding the Vale. If they planned on staying a while, then surely it was wise to know what was out there. So far she found nothing more than trees, snow, and the occasional woodland creature, but still she searched for something to break up the boring routines of subordinate life. 

It seemed as though her hard work finally paid itself off in the form of a scent on the breeze. The corner of her lips pulled upwards in a smirk, and she was off to investigate. 

Bright eyes searched the horizon, waiting for his form to appear, and when it did, she felt her paws slow. Instinctively, her plume-like tail fell in line with her spine, conveying the fact that she wasn't here to fight. "Enjoying the dark?" Her tone was laced with honey, as usual.

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A feminine voice made him pause, turning around to face his company, his eyes landed on the bright amber of her eyes. He could see that she was lithe and beautiful even from this distance --a siren-- and he eased toward her without missing a beat. He could see what was beyond the trees in a moment. Her coat seemed pristine against the dark backdrop of the deep forest which made it easier for him to focus, and within moments the corners of his lips turned upward when he dissected the meaning of her words.

"I'd prefer anything else." he said, stopping when he was within a good enough range to confirm that her eyes were indeed a beautiful amber and her coat was a bit more unkempt than it looked from a distance. "You're a sight for sore eyes, I'll tell you that. Are you lost too?" he admitted, ears pulling backward. He was happy to have finally found someone he could communicate with, it was even better than her guest was female.

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2017, 09:31 AM by Deadlock.)

Celandine's tail swayed at the compliment.  Not that she needed it. She had always been aware of herself, or at least vain enough to know that her form was pleasing. The lithe woman considered it one of her weapons. One she could use to lure them in. 

"Me?" Her pristine head cocked to the side. "I'm never lost." Celandine was always exactly where she wanted to be, or at least close enough. It was intriguing that this male had found himself in such a predicament though. Where had he come from? Where was he going? Surely her questions would be answered in due time. "Is there something or someone I can help you find?" This side of the mountain was still new to her, but the ivory woman would try her damndest to find whatever it was that he was seeking. She lived for being owed.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

His grin widened when she said that she was never lost. It wasn't everyday that he admitted to being lost, in fact, he was surprised to have been so honest with the female but he couldn't resist a cute face and her charm had easily won him over. He loved confidence, and this young woman was not shy in assuring him that she knew exactly what she wanted and could most likely find it without the help of another; he wished he could say the same in this strange land. "You'd be the perfect wolf to have around then." he said with a wink, his tail wagging slow behind him.

His head shook to the side when she asked whether she could help him, he hadn't been looking for anything in particular and he didn't know anyone in the Lore to go searching in a dark forest for them but he was happy to have her company and figured he would throw something out there to keep her attention. "I might be interested in a pack, I think I caught whiff of one but you're already aware that this forest isn't the easiest to navigate." he said, hoping that she would stick around long enough to give him some kind of information.

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2017, 11:50 AM by Deadlock.)

Things were moving along better than she could have expected. He was very forward, so she didn't expect much beating around the bush with him. It was trait that she was usually hard pressed to find in others. The possibility that he had bad intentions was not entirely lost on her, but for now she decided to take him at face value. When opportunities arise, they should be taken... with caution of course.

What really piqued her curiosity though, was the mention of wanting a pack. "Well I do believe you're in luck." Only time would tell if that was true. "I happen to know my way through the dark, and I happen to know of a pack." Two birds with one stone?

"I'm Celandine, by the way."

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

She had given her name and he stored away in his memory, producing his own so that she could do with it as she pleased. "Deadlock. It's a pleasure meeting you Celandine." his head bowed downward, a position he rarely found himself in but for her it felt more inviting than formal. He wanted nothing more for her to lead him to the pack, it was after all, one of the reason's he had come to this land so close to winter. "I would be more than gracious if you lead the way." he said with a smile, lifting his head to look long into her yellow eyes. He hadn't lied when he said she was a sight for sore eyes.

He waited for her to move in what ever direction this pack was before he thought to question her further about it, if only to gauge what he was signing himself up for. "What is this pack called you're leading me to and what's their history if you happen to know?" he asked, wanting to throw in whether she was apart of it but decided he would wait, that particular part he supposed he could find out later.

Celandine let a smile curve the edges of her lips as she nodded. "It's a pleasure meeting you as well." Hopefully it would continue to be as such, but her expectations would remain low for now. It was better to expect nothing and be surprised than it was to expect more and be disappointed. At least in her mind.

Snow crackled beneath her paws as she turned back the way she had come. The Vale wasn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump away, so they best start moving. "Quaking Vale. As far as their history goes, they were once a decent sized pack, but slowly members began leaving. One by one they all decided to forge their own paths, until the only three left were a subordinate, the lead male, and his dying girlfriend. The pack resembled nothing of it's former glory when we joined. The borders were scarcely enforced, the caches were empty. All Niles could do was tend to his mate, and the rest fell on the last subordinate's shoulders. She passed soon after we arrived. There was nothing that could be done." Vivid eyes moved to the side, curious how he would react to hearing about the Vale.

"So what's your story?" Sad or happy, everybody had one, and the pale woman was interested to see how much of his he would divulge.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

For some reason the light crunch of the snow beneath their feet felt satisfying as he followed her, his gait kept him comfortably at her side but slightly near her rear just in case he needed to turn tail and head for safety. He didn't completely trust this woman and if she planned on am ambush she would have quite the run in store for her from him; this thick legs were pure muscle.

She gave him the key points of what was happening in the pack and for a moment he considered turning tail and heading back to the Ridge, where it seemed to be a bit more stable and secure. He didn't like the idea of joining a pack in the midst of mourning, it felt weird that so many would be sad over a wolf he had never met and he could do nothing to console them because of it, but something about Celandine's cut and dry response made him wonder if she was anything remotely emotional. She seemed purely professional, keeping her nose on the task at hand and he realized that he liked that quality more than he did any wolf who couldn't quite handle reality. Death, unfortunately, was a process of life. "Sounds like one hell of a background story to me. A twist on a happy ending, is it weird that I kinda like it?" he shook his head, making sure to add in "not the part about his mate dying of course --that would be cruel--, but the part about his pack losing members. It's almost like the pack surely can't go anywhere but up now." he looked at her, wondering if she understood where he was going with his reasoning.

She wanted to know his story and for a moment he hesitated, biting his lip and casting his gaze elsewhere while he contemplated exactly how to explain why he was here. It wasn't the most dramatic or interesting of stories, but it was every bit of what he was. "I traveled here alone from a pack far, far North of here. My family isn't very close, in fact they mostly hate each other but regardless they have each others back. I left because I was tired of the phoniness and because I wanted to start my own tradition, plant my own seeds and start over fresh. Without the pack bullshit and without the constant nagging of my parents." he turned toward her when he was finished, wondering what she would think. "I know, it's cheesy...but hey, that's the scout honors truth." and he flashed his boyish charm of a smile. "and you?" he was dying to know why she was here.